Endermen are one of the most iconic and frustrating mobs in Minecraft, capable of teleporting, dealing damage, and picking up specific blocks. Understanding exactly what blocks can enderman pick up is essential for both survival gameplay and complex redstone builds. This guide breaks down every detail about an Enderman’s block manipulation, from common sand and gravel to the rare dragon egg, helping you leverage their abilities or protect your base.
Basic Mechanics of Block Pickup
An Enderman can pick up and place down a surprisingly diverse range of blocks, but they are not omnipotent. There is a specific list of blocks within their grab range that they can lift in a single player tick. This action usually occurs when the Enderman stands on a valid block in a suitable environment, and it will often drop these items if damaged or teleported. Knowing this list helps players predict their behavior and engineer elaborate mob farms or simple item collection systems.
The Core Valid Blocks
At the heart of an Enderman’s capabilities are a handful of fundamental blocks that form the basis of most complex designs. These are the blocks that are almost always available for them to pick up, provided the block is within their vertical reach and the space above is air. Mastering these is the first step to understanding the full scope of their abilities.
- Sand (and red sand)
- Gravel
- Anvils
- Concrete powder
- Snow layers
- Cactus
- Melon blocks
- Pumpkins
- Water and lava buckets
Situational and Rare Picks
Beyond the core list, the game grants Endermen the ability to interact with a few more niche blocks, often tied to specific game events or structures. These picks are less common but crucial for specific technical builds or understanding rare drop rates. You will often see these blocks in the context of speedrunning or high-efficiency farms.
Blocks from the End and Powerful Drops
The most sought-after pickup from an Enderman is undoubtedly the dragon egg. This block appears only once per world, floating on a stack of bedrock after the Ender Dragon is defeated. Endermen can pick up and move this egg, making it possible to unintentionally teleport it to an unreachable height or into a wall. Obsidian is a special case, as an Enderman can sometimes pick up a mined obsidian block if a piston pushes it while the Enderman is holding another block.
- Dragon egg (after defeating the Ender Dragon)
- Obsidian (in specific technical scenarios)
- Flower pots
- Chorus plants
- End stone bricks
Blocks Endermen Cannot Interact With
For every block an Enderman can move, there is a long list of blocks that are immune to their telekinesis. This includes virtually all functional blocks, decorative blocks placed as part of structure, and blocks with special properties. Knowing what they cannot pick up is just as important as knowing what they can, especially when designing secure storage areas or automated systems that rely on item frames holding valuable gear.
- Bedrock
- Budding amethyst
- All placed tools, weapons, or armor (item frames)
- Containers (chests, furnaces, droppers)
- Blocks with inventories (barrels, lecterns)
- Non-full blocks (buttons, torches, carpets)
Strategic Implications for Players
Understanding the pickup range of an Enderman is vital for survival gameplay. Building with non-pickable materials like cobblestone, stone bricks, or wood ensures that your structures remain intact even if an Enderman wanders into your home. Conversely, sand and gravel traps are a classic redstone tool, using the Enderman’s predictable behavior to create timed block drops that can suffocate mobs or activate mechanisms.
Optimizing for Farms and Storage
Advanced players utilize the specific list of valid blocks to create highly efficient Enderman farms. By using water streams or strategic fall damage, players manipulate the Enderman’s block-carrying state to force drops of the specific material they need. Whether you are farming sand for glass, gravel for flint, or desperately chasing that rare dragon egg, controlling the environment where an Enderman operates is the key to mastering this chaotic mob.
